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Meaning & use

overstaying

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌəʊvəˈsteɪɪŋ/
US/ˌoʊvərˈsteɪɪŋ/

“overstaying” is a form of “overstay”.

Meanings

  1. verbtransitivelegal

    Remaining in a place longer than you are allowed to, especially after a visa or permit has run out.

    Grammar: Takes an object: overstaying a visa.

    Patterns

    • overstaying a visa
    • overstaying a permit

    He was fined for overstaying his tourist visa.

    Overstaying a permit can make it harder to return to a country.

    Airport officers check for travelers overstaying their entry.

  2. verbtransitivefigurative

    Staying somewhere or with someone longer than is convenient, polite or wanted.

    Grammar: Usually appears in the phrase overstaying your welcome.

    Patterns

    • overstaying your welcome

    I think we are overstaying our welcome, so let's go home.

    The guests were overstaying and the hosts were exhausted.

    Overstaying at a party can spoil a good evening.

Word forms

base formoverstay
third person singularoverstays
past tenseoverstayed

Common combinations

overstaying a visa
Overstaying a visa can lead to a travel ban.
overstaying your welcome
She worried about overstaying her welcome at her aunt's house.
accused of overstaying
The tourist was accused of overstaying by two weeks.
penalties for overstaying
The penalties for overstaying are listed on the website.
risk overstaying
Visitors risk overstaying if they miss their flight.

Synonyms and how they differ

lingering
Lingering suggests staying on slowly or reluctantly, and carries no sense of breaking a rule like overstaying.
outstaying
Outstaying is mainly British and mostly used in outstaying your welcome, while overstaying also covers visas.
exceeding
Exceeding is a general word for going beyond a limit and needs an object like the time allowed, unlike overstaying.

Opposites

leaving on time

Word family

overstay verb
to stay too long
overstayer noun
a person who stays beyond the allowed time
stay verb
to remain in a place
stay noun
a period of time spent somewhere

Commonly confused: overstaying or outstaying?

overstaying vs outstaying

Both can mean staying too long, but outstaying nearly always appears in the phrase outstaying your welcome, while overstaying also applies to visas and time limits.

Practice

The traveler was warned that ___ her visa could affect future trips to the country.

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